Motorcycle rally to roar into Houma

Participants ride in the 2007 HOG rally at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center in Houma.

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Kris JohnsonStaff Writer

Published: Wednesday, March 27, 2013 at 9:06 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, March 27, 2013 at 9:06 p.m.

The streets along the bayou will soon be flooded with motorcycles for the 2013 Louisiana HOG Rally.

Set to start a week from now and run through April 6, the 30th annual rally is expected to draw about 2,000 Harley-Davidson riders to the area, said coordinator James Champagne.

“This is what they call the kick-off rally, meaning out of all the Harley Owners Group chapters across the country, we’re having the first rally of the year. Plus, this is outr 30th year and the 110th year anniversary for Harley Davidson, the largest cycle organization in the world with over 1 million members,” Champagne said. “So planning this has been great for the past couple months, but it’s definitely been a ride and a lot of work. I have one week left. Whew!”

The hard work began early for others involved as vendors arrived two weeks ahead of time to prepare for the gathering.

Vendors, the only rally feature available to the public during this private event, will sell leather clothing and accessories, patches for jackets, windshields and other items that interest bikers.

There will also be motorcycle painters and tattoo artists on site.

There is a full slate of events lined up for those attending the Louisiana State Harley Owners Group Rally at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center.

Organizers said Houma’s bayou roads and swampy scenery are perfect for putting some wind in riders’ hair.

There will be two guided rides lead by the local HOG chapter. The first is the Swamp Ride, and the second is the Wetlands Ride, which will allow bikers to explore the five bayous of Terrebonne Parish.

There are seven self-guided rides planned, so bikers can get some alone time to find hidden treasures of the area’s scenery.

Along with the thousands of motorcycles on the road, local drivers may also notice a slew of flags. That’s part of Friday’s Parade of Flags, when visiting bikers will flaunt their chapters’ flags as they ride down Main Street to Southland Mall and back.

It’s the second time the state HOG rally has come to Houma. About 2,000 bikers from across the country attended the last one in 2007, packing Houma-Thibodaux area hotels and filling the streets with motorcycles throughout the weekend.

To participate, you must be a member of the Harley Owners Group by the start of the rally. Members can sponsor one guest each.

Last time, only a few local restaurants and bars scheduled parties and performances. But this year, the local HOG chapter decided to push the visitors to more local spots by not promoting Civic Center food. Instead, Champagne said, there will be a booth set up at registration in the Civic Center next Thursday morning with the names of local hotels, bars, restaurants, swamp tours and more.

“We’re promoting our local food and culture a lot more this time,” Champagne said. “We’re really encouraging them to go out into the community and discover all the great things we have to offer. We’re telling them to go get some of our good Cajun food — not the usual hamburgers and stuff sold at the Civic Center.”

Groups are also getting involved in welcoming the bikers.

Mike Bruno’s Bayou Country Harley Davidson in Houma will host an Early Bird Party at 6 p.m. that Thursday night.

Attendees will enjoy free food, live music by Major Beacon, $1 draft beer, door prizes and more. Friday and Saturday feature more food, more live music, a Bikini Bike Wash and demo rides.

Houma Main Street Manager Anne Picou said her organization has scheduled a special Downtown Live After Five — a free outdoor concert Friday in the Courthouse Square. .

“We’re really excited and honored to participate and help out,” Picou said.

The rally on Saturday will have a decidedly south Louisiana flavor — a Mardi Gras Biker Parade.

The so-called “mini Mardi Gras parade” will take place at the Civic Center and will include an unannounced grand marshal who is a charter member of 30 years with the local chapter.

The rally’s website with schedules, hotel offerings, registration and other information is online at lastatehogrally.com. Pre-registration is closed, but anyone interested in attending can pay the $40 fee on site.

“The sole purpose of this is for us to get together to ride and to have fun and meet other brother and sister riders of HOG. We enjoy ourselves. People are coming from as far as Africa, British Colombia, Montana, Minnesota and Wisconsin,” Champagne said. “They’re all our visitors, and we want to be sure they feel welcomed. With that said, everyone be sure to watch out for motorcyclists on the road.”

Staff Writer Kris Johnson can be reached at 857-2207 or kris.johnson@houmatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter @krisLjo.

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